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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · rush · stand · mug · root · fork · rest · game

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. stand — to bear
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. net — in sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fork — in a road
  8. game — wild animals
  9. root — of a word
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. root — of a plant
  13. rest — a break
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. game — a match
  17. root — the cause
  18. rest — what's left
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. net — for catching
  21. mug — a cup
  22. net — after costs
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com